Ambassador Program
The Fair Ambassador Program (established in 2000) is open to all youth (male and female). The candidates need to be at least a junior in High School up to 20 years of age. The 2013 competition will be held on March 16, 2013. Winners will receive a $500.00 scholarship to the educational institution of their choice.
For 2013 - Applications are currently available and will be due on or before March 1, 2013. For further information, please contact the Fair Office at (509) 477-2772.
2012 Spokane County Interstate Fair Ambassadors
The competition began with applications from many contestants. The initial round of judging narrowed the field to the top twelve candidates including Alex Barton (Mead), Shannon Braithwait (Barker HS), Abigail Christensen (Homeschool), Courtnee Everman (North Central HS), Bethany Hand (Mt. Spokane HS), McKenzie Laschinger (Mt. Spokane HS), Shawnee Luciani (Mead HS), Brianna Sillivan (North Central HS), Julia Viherlahti (Ferris HS), Asa Wolfe (S.C.C.), and David Yake (Gonzaga Prep HS). These twelve candidates competed at an event on March 17 to select the 2012 Spokane County Interstate Fair Ambassadors (below).
Scholarships were donated by Insulation Specialists Inc. and Pennsylvania Dutch Funnel Cakes. Each contestant received special gifts from the following program supporters - Camp Fire, Dutch Bros. Coffee, Ellingsen / Paxton / Johnson Orthodontics, HUB International, Interstate Fair Food Vendors, Alysa Norton, Pepsi Beverages Company, Pizza Rita, Ron's Drive-In, Sky High Sports, Spokandy, Spokane Indians Baseball, Wild Walls, and YMCA of the Inland Northwest.
Bethany Hand (Mt. Spokane HS):
Bethany is the 17-year-old daughter of Fred and Cindy Stover of Mead, Washington. With a G.P.A. of 3.528, Bethany has participated in orchestra and softball. She is an Honor’s Student and was Mt. Spokane High School’s 2012 Lilac Candidate. Through an extensive application and interview process involving over 150 girls in the County, Bethany was selected to represent Spokane County in the “Fab 14” (the finalist team on the way to competing for the Lilac Court). Clare Patton with the Spokane Lilac Festival Association states, “I have been consistently charmed by the freshness and sense of delight (Bethany) carries with her.” For her future aspirations, Bethany hopes to finish two years of schooling at Spokane Falls Community College and then move to Seattle Pacific University to major in business and minor in interior design. She one day hopes to have her own design firm. Bethany has been involved with a variety of community affairs which include Santa Express, Toys for Tots, Operation Cookie Drop (serving Air Force men and women), Salvation Army’s Clothe-a-Child, First Night, and volunteering at retirement centers. Bethany states, “I have gone to the Interstate Fair ever since I was little and I have even competed in the art department. I have already represented Spokane with the Lilac Festival and I would love to represent this city this way as well.”
Brianna Sillivan (North Central HS):
Brianna is the 17-year-old daughter of Maria and Patrick Sillivan of Spokane. She has contributed to her community through Tree of Sharing, Vanessa Behan food drive, soccer camps for the youth, cheerleading camps for elementary schools, campus clean-up for North Central High School, adopting a family for Christmas in leadership class, and a Door to Door Necessities Drive for Ogden Hall. Some of Brianna’s High School activities include cheerleading, soccer, leadership, track, photography, and drama. She is the Captain of the soccer and track team. She has a G.P.A. of 3.0 with four advanced placement classes. She was named the MVP and defensive player of the year. Brianna’s plans for the future include carrying on her education into college and hoping to play soccer at that level. Her life goals are to explore the professions of counselor, physical therapist, and motivational speaker. Brianna states that her interests include hiking, singing (she sings at her church), photography, and drawing.
Julia Viherlahti (Joel E. Ferris HS):
Julia is the 18-year-old daughter of Laura and Jari Viherlahti of Spokane. She has a G.P.A. of 3.7. She is involved in the Wind Ensemble and Jazz Orchestra. She has competed at regional and State solo competitions representing Ferris. She has played bass for the Washington Music Educators Association All-State 2010 Symphony Orchestra and 2011 Symphonic Band. She has also been named the Bassist for the 2012 All-National Orchestra. She is on the make-up committee for the Ham on Regal production. She is a dancer / choreographer with Hyper-Formance Jazz Dance Club. Julia has been very involved in 4-H for the past 9 years and has been on the 4-H Teen Advisory Group for 4 years helping plan and organize County-wide events and community service projects. She served on the Spokane Youth Sustainability Council for 2 years. She has exhibited at the Interstate Fair since she was 10 and has also volunteered before the fair with set-up and judging. She states that she has two possible plans for this coming fall. The first is to attend the University of Washington and double major in Finnish Language and Bass Performance. The other option is to attend the Sibelius Academy (music conservatory) in Helsinki, Finland focusing on classical and jazz bass in their Master’s program. Julia enjoys gardening and creating new functional art projects, entering projects into local fairs, cross-country skiing, ice-skating, event planning, and teaching violin.
Asa Wolfe (Spokane Community College)
Asa is the 17-year-old son of John and Ann Wolfe of Chattaroy, Washington. He has assisted in bettering his community by volunteering with the following organizations – Awana, Union Gospel Motors, Anna Ogden Hall, Angel Tree, Operation Christmas Child, Christ Kitchen Gingerbread Build-Off, Whitworth University Swim Meets, 4-H, Chattaroy Community Church Vacation Bible School, Bloomsday, and the Spokane County Fair and Expo Center Junior Advisory Board. He has also served as a Senate Page for Senator Bob McCaslin. Asa was a member of student government / leadership at Deer Park Home-Link last year. Currently, he holds a G.P.A. of 3.95 at Spokane Community College. He is the club president for his 4-H Club, Homegrown Hogs. He has entered hogs and still life exhibits into the Interstate Fair for the past five years. He was also selected as the Grand Champion public speaker at the 2010 Spokane Interstate Fair. Asa’s plans for the future include attending the United State Air Force Academy beginning in June 2013 with the hopes of becoming a Special Tactics Officer (STO). Asa serves as the Captain of the Spokane Waves Aquatic Team, a certified water safety instructor, certified lifeguard, certified AED and CPR administrator and lists that he is a “voracious reader”.